Which
is the best diet?
Atkins Diet
The
late Dr. Richard Atkins developed one of the most popular and controversial
diets of recent years.
Designed to alter the way your body deals with foods, the Atkins diet
suggests reduction of carbohydrate intake in order to cause a change in
your metabolism to induce dissolving of body fat. The idea is that instead
of using carbohydrates for energy, your body uses up stored fat instead.
The Atkins diet might
suit you if you're a big meat eater and are looking for fast results.
More on the Atkins Diet
Glycemic
Index
Based on the fact that all sugars, starches and fruits are digested at
different rates. The GI diet categorizes carbohydrates by the speed the
body digests and converts them to energy. The foods are recognised as
being 'high' or 'medium to low' on the GI index, the latter being preferred,
as a gradual release of energy from low GI foods will prevent hunger and
give you plenty of energy throughout the day. As an added bonus this diet
reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Low GI :
a value of 55 or less - porridge
oats, lentils, pulses and beans, barley, tomatoes,
raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries,
grapes, apples, pears, peaches, custard
Med GI
: values of 56 to 69 - granary bread, wholemeal
pasta, basmati
rice, honey,
jam, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, ice cream, new potatoes, sweet potatoes
High GI :
value of 70 or more
- grapefruit juice, cereal, white and wholemeal bread, baked potato, mashed
potato, sugar, banana, watermelon, parsnips, brown rice
More about
the GI Diet
The
Zone Diet
Dr Barry Sears zone diet is based on the principle of regulating levels
of insulin and other hormones in the blood within recommended levels (The
Zone) by eating the correct balance of food at the right intervals.
The diet recommends
a 30:40 ratio of protein to carbohydrates to help maintain a balance between
the hormones insulin and glucagen which is optimum for fat-burning and
overall health.
The Zone diet plan causes the body to work within its ideal performance
'zone' providing maximum energy and weight loss.
No caffeine, moderate alcohol - Alcoholic beverages contain very little
carbohydrate - most wines and spirits contain virtually none.
The recommendations
are a maximum of 14 units
of alcohol a week for women and 21 units a week for men.
More about
the Zone Diet
Weight
Watchers
Weight watchers is a diet 'club' with thousands of meetings held every
week around the world. It's also online with tons of useful free information
on the website and you can join online for the benefits of full membership.
The two types of diet promoted by Weight watchers, the core plan and the
points plan are both low-fat, low-calorie and easy to follow.
Many Weight watchers
members praise the help and support they get at meetings so if you have
willpower problems, this could be a good option for you.
More about
Weight watchers
Calorie counting
Calorie
counting is simple - just count the number of calories in everything that
you eat and drink - to lose weight just keep your daily intake of calories
lower than the amount your body needs. Oh - if it were that easy!
But you can lose
a pound a week by consuming 500 calories a day less than your body uses
and you can continue to eat your favourite foods.
More
about Calorie counting
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